1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to optical fiber communication apparatus and more specifically, to apparatus for limiting the movement of optical cables so as to avoid damage during connecting and disconnecting the cables in space-restricted areas.
The telecommunications industry is using more and more optical or light fibers in lieu of copper wire. Optical fibers have an extremely high band width, thereby allowing significantly more information than can be carried by a copper wire. However, optical fibers also require more careful handling and attention during use to avoid damage or unsatisfactory operation. For example, even the most robust optical fibers must not be bent or coiled with a too small radius to avoid degradation of the transmission qualities of the optical fiber. Transmission degradation can occur if the optical fiber is coiled or bent in a tight loop even though there is no physical damage done to the optical fiber or cable.
Therefore, it is important to control the bends and coils that a fiber-optic is subjected to during installation and subsequent maintenance operations.